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The Emotional Foundations of Value Co-Creation in Sustainable Cultural Heritage Tourism: Insights into the Motivation–Experience–Behavior Framework

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  • Lin Zhou

    (School of Design, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China)

  • Xue Liu

    (School of Design, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China)

  • Wei Wei

    (Department of Product Design, Changshu Institute of Technology, Changshu 215500, China)

Abstract

As sustainable cultural heritage tourism increasingly demonstrates its unique value and appeal, effectively stimulating tourists’ emotional experiences and value co-creation behaviors has become a focal issue. This study investigates how multiple tourist motivations (self-enhancement, escapism, and social interaction) shape value co-creation through emotional mediators—namely aesthetic, nostalgic, and flow experiences. Data were collected from 470 valid responses from visitors to the UNESCO-listed Suzhou Classical Gardens in China and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that these emotional experiences significantly drive value co-creation behavior: self-enhancement motivation enhances all three experiences, escapism mainly promotes nostalgic and flow experiences, and social interaction primarily affects aesthetic experience. These findings clarify the psychological mechanisms through which tourists’ motivations and emotional experiences influence value co-creation behavior in cultural heritage tourism. This research advances our understanding of the motivation–experience–behavior framework and emphasizes that enhancing emotional engagement is key to fostering sustainable cultural heritage tourism practices. The study provides practical implications for designing experiences and strategies that balance visitor satisfaction with the long-term vitality of cultural heritage sites and local communities, thereby contributing to broader sustainable development goals.

Suggested Citation

  • Lin Zhou & Xue Liu & Wei Wei, 2025. "The Emotional Foundations of Value Co-Creation in Sustainable Cultural Heritage Tourism: Insights into the Motivation–Experience–Behavior Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-22, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:15:p:6961-:d:1714424
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